KINLOCH TODAY

I have been so looking forward to today!
We are off to Kinloch to their annual craft market.
It sounds like it's a really good one.

ABOVE:  a few photos I grabbed off their Facebook page.  I am super interested in finding a brazier for our back patio area.

We are heading out fairly early for a Sunday morning, it's about a 2 hour drive to Taupo, then another 20 minutes around the lake to Kinloch.

After the market we will be checking out my Aunt and Uncle's new home... that's the Aunt and Uncle that used to live just around the corner from us in Auckland.

They are leaving Auckland too... should be living in Kinloch in the next month or two.

 ABOVE:  Marley trying to eat Brylee's hair last night... and Denim is in there too.

ABOVE:  Both little darlings eating the laces on Stew's slippers!  So darn cute.

I had been quite worried about leaving the puppies home alone all day long, but we are so lucky because one of my newest girlfriends, Sue #2, is going to be coming out here during the day to babysit the puppies for us.  How awesome is that!

I can now go and relax knowing they will not be stuck inside all day, alone.  Thank you Sue!

So I better get moving... the pups need a run around outside before we leave...

ONWARD...

Well we were out of here by 8.30 am, got to the market around 10.30 ish.  There were masses of people there.

But, only a couple of braziers, and certainly none that I wanted.  So I was a bit disappointed.  

I had seen an amazing brazier in a shop in Raglan about a year ago, so I sent them a private message as we had lunch in Taupo, asking if they had any like the one I'd seen before?

And luck was with us as she had just got 2 new ones in the shop, and she sent me a photo of both of them.  I fell in love with one immediately... and BOUGHT IT.

We are going to Raglan tomorrow to pick it up.

We had lunch in Taupo, then as were were leaving Taupo, heading home I decided to ring my cousin Janice, and see if she was home for a visit?

She lives about 10 minutes north of Taupo.  She was home, so we went and visited her and her husband.

And we had a blast!  They have a small holding, with quite a few animals...  I took a lot of photos!

 ABOVE:  Keera got to feed the donkey a carrot, then groom her.
No fear that kid.

ABOVE:  Keera was fearless when it came to all the animals!  She loved every one.

 ABOVE:  Graeme showed her how to hold the chicken like this!  Then she lay it on the ground and it was just fine.

 ABOVE:  the deer's name is Bambi, she's very old, deaf, almost blind and very slow moving.  But she loves company and cuddles.

 ABOVE:  The other two deer were fairly friendly too.

 ABOVE:  Two rather characterful Alpaca.
Not that friendly, but didn't run away, just kept a little distance between us.

 ABOVE:  They are gorgeous!

 ABOVE:  Oscar the ostrich was crazy!  Kept doing a crazy territorial dance.  

 ABOVE:  Keera got to gather 9 eggs... then she dropped the bucket and broke 7 of them!  Graeme wasn't bothered, they get plenty of eggs!

 ABOVE:  Bambi slowly followed us from the paddock to the house, she is free roaming.  Such a love.

 ABOVE:  'Sitting duck'... quite literally.  Only... she found a chicken sitting on her CHICKEN eggs, and chased the chicken away and took over the nest and eggs.   So far she has 3 baby chickens with about 11 more eggs to hatch!
Rather funny!

 ABOVE:  Me and Bambi out the front of the house, they have an amazing view!  I know for a fact I have never touched, let alone stood beside and cuddled a live deer before!

 ABOVE:  And how often do you see a teenage boy taking a 'selfie' with a deer?  Hysterical.

 ABOVE:  Keera wanted to sit on Bambi, so Graeme held her on, while taking her weight.  Bambi is too old to give a kid a ride.

Keera, and in fact all of us, really loved our visit with my cousin Janice and her hubby.

 ABOVE:  Griffin in the playground at Kinloch.  I got virtually no photos in Kinloch as it was drizzling and cold.

ABOVE:  The highlight of the day (for me) was spending some time with my cousin.  We have hardly seen each other over the past 20 years.
Ice is broken, we are going to be seeing more of them from now on.


ABOVE:  A little video of the animals and kids.


ABOVE:  Janice being cheeky, not realising Brylee was filming!  

I got a text from my girlfriend Sue this afternoon ... the puppies and Coco got to spend some time with her today, and all was well. So neat not having to worry about them.

Winding down for the day... watching some tv before taking puppies outside for the last time today.  Then bed.
Another busy day tomorrow.

The ostrich is OSCAR, he lives on my cousin's farm.  *smiles*